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Beleriphon
2006-07-02, 09:46 PM
As the title implies, what is your favourite story about a hero taken out of their normal time frame, or story. For me its Red Son. Its a very cool read, and Superman isn't all that different even though raised by communists. At one point he even says that by taking the leadership of the USSR after Stalin's death defeats the whole purpose of all men being equal, since he is certainly more then equal to any human. In the end its still the same old lovable Superman, but in a differen guise. Very cool, even with the goofy ending.

Ing
2006-07-02, 09:58 PM
hmmmm age of apocalips was good.
dark knight returns is a classic one

TinSoldier
2006-07-02, 10:07 PM
The only one I'm really familiar with is Dark Knight Returns. But I really liked it, so I vote for that.

Dhavaer
2006-07-02, 10:49 PM
The pirate themed Batman one. Can't remember what is was called, but the Joker was seriously creepy looking in it.

Smashymcsmash
2006-07-02, 11:06 PM
Off the cuff I'll go with "The Nail".

Beleriphon
2006-07-03, 12:13 AM
Off the cuff I'll go with "The Nail".


I don't know that one, so enlighten away.

TheSilverKnight
2006-07-03, 06:15 AM
Umm mine has to be the episode of the new Justice Leage((before it became unlimited) when the leauge gets transporetd into the universe of Green Lanturns favorite comic heros but they are really dead and that whole mess so yah.

Hoseki
2006-07-03, 07:00 AM
Hmm. I'm not very fond of the alternate universe arc in Deep Space Nine, so I'll go with the current General Protection Fault story.

Closet_Skeleton
2006-07-03, 08:01 AM
I'm not a comic book reader apart from a few of my parents graphic novels. I'd say Dark Knight Returns but that is the only one I've read and the only batman comic I've read apart from that had a Bat-copter and an anti-shark spray of all things... I wasn't particularly over the moon about Dark Knight Returns either but its the only one I've read.

It seems unfortunate for DC that they did Crisis to get rid of alterante universes but all their big talked about story lines are from alternative universes. Maybe continuity just ain't that great.

Nah.

Smashymcsmash
2006-07-03, 08:52 AM
Here is the link for the info on "The Nail".
http://www.dccomics.com/graphic_novels/?gn=1408
I don't really want to say much about the story but it is based around the old saying:
For want of a nail the shoe was lost.
For want of a shoe the horse was lost.
For want of a horse the knight was lost.
For want of a knight the battle was lost.

I think that is how it goes anyway.

edit: Closet if you want some good in continuity stories look at the Grant Morrison JLA stuff, also "The Long Halloween", James Robinson's "Starman", Gail Simone's "Batman Gotham Kights" run, and the last one I'll mention "The Flash" Starting with Mark Waid's run up to the end of Geoff Johns run. Once you've finished that let me know and I'll give you some more. ;D

Otterella
2006-07-03, 09:11 AM
Is this restricted to comic-related stories? Because I have really liked some of the Stargate episodes that involve that mirror that brings the main characters from other dimensions into ours. Good times. Good times. Back when Stargate was, you know, good.

Closet_Skeleton
2006-07-03, 12:26 PM
Stargate did those as much as they did "what if the series was actually a T.V. show" episodes,

Otterella
2006-07-03, 01:10 PM
No, they only did one Wormhole Extreme show. They did at least three with the mirror, one with the Crystal Skull, and one with a gate malfunction.

Closet_Skeleton
2006-07-03, 06:15 PM
They did another one where there was a barber who got dreams about the SG1 team and referenced Worm Hole Extreme (best episode ever, though I'm not a regular watcher) in one scene. You're missing the alternate reality episode where the entities that are looking after Jackson's wife's son give him a dream where he gains access to the ghoul'ould (don't ask me to correctly spell made up words) and gets corrupted by the power and builds defence satalites with the alien technology then turns them on earth. And there goes my attempt to prove you wrong :-/.

Atlantis did one where some gaseous aliens put them into a dream were all their friends that had died where still alive. The aliens meant to make it seem identical to reality but they had no concept of death so they didn't realise.

Jarl
2006-07-03, 08:27 PM
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back: Infinities
While on patrol on Hoth, Luke Skywalker is attacked by a Wampa Snow Monster. Han Solo goes looking for him and finds him just in time to hear Luke tell him that he must go to Dagobah.
And then Luke dies.

-Major ups for the gratuitous helmetless appearence of Boba Fett, the first ever in Star Wars history (aside from Episode II).

Alsadius
2006-07-03, 09:14 PM
It doesn't really fit into the whole "Comic" part of the forums, but my answer is definately the Ring of Fire series by Eric Flint. Take a modern West Virginia town, and drop it into Germany in the 1630s. It's a bit strange, but really well-written and well-executed.

Otterella
2006-07-03, 10:28 PM
They did another one where there was a barber who got dreams about the SG1 team and referenced Worm Hole Extreme (best episode ever, though I'm not a regular watcher) in one scene. You're missing the alternate reality episode where the entities that are looking after Jackson's wife's son give him a dream where he gains access to the ghoul'ould (don't ask me to correctly spell made up words) and gets corrupted by the power and builds defence satalites with the alien technology then turns them on earth. And there goes my attempt to prove you wrong :-/.

Atlantis did one where some gaseous aliens put them into a dream were all their friends that had died where still alive. The aliens meant to make it seem identical to reality but they had no concept of death so they didn't realise.

It's goa'uld.

TheSilverKnight
2006-07-04, 04:56 AM
They did another one where there was a barber who got dreams about the SG1 team and referenced Worm Hole Extreme (best episode ever, though I'm not a regular watcher) in one scene. You're missing the alternate reality episode where the entities that are looking after Jackson's wife's son give him a dream where he gains access to the ghoul'ould (don't ask me to correctly spell made up words) and gets corrupted by the power and builds defence satalites with the alien technology then turns them on earth. And there goes my attempt to prove you wrong :-/.

Atlantis did one where some gaseous aliens put them into a dream were all their friends that had died where still alive. The aliens meant to make it seem identical to reality but they had no concept of death so they didn't realise.


Awesome episode because Jackson claims thet he of all people could not be swayed by power.

on another note anyone else hate the seasonn where Jackson was assended and they had that other guy on the team kind of ruined that season for me I think it was 6 or 7 the new seasons are awesome though Valla is HAWT. Sorry had to say it.

Duncan_MacSmasher
2006-07-29, 12:34 PM
Doom has to go with Kingdom come, though Doom is not very learned in Elseworlds.

Jarl
2006-07-29, 11:21 PM
Yeah, Kingdom Come and Dark Knight Returns are pretty awesome.

-I notice that Doom refers to himself in the third person. What's up with that?

Duncan_MacSmasher
2006-07-31, 11:23 AM
Doom does what Doom wants!

Old_el_Paso
2006-08-02, 12:15 PM
Doom also was beaten by Squirrel Girl!

Logic
2006-08-04, 12:41 AM
i highly doubt anyone else has read it, but "Superman Annual #3, Elseworlds"
in it, the kryptonians are ravaged by a plague, nad Jor-El makes a cure, and gives it to his unborn son, Kal-El. 100,000 krptonians leave their planet (it is the cause of the plague, from their generations ago clone war) at the last minute, Kal-El goes to the child banks and smuggles him aboard the last ship to leave krypton.
When the krptonians get to earth, they find that they are indeed supermen, and settle it. Though they are still infected with the paluge, they build devices to distribute a suppressing agent into the air.
The problem is, that the governments of earth fighting with one another do not bode well for the Kryptonian "Utopia" so they take over the world, enforcing laws to "Civilize" the human population. Batman is a member of the Human Resistance.
Read the rest for yourself (if you can find it)

endoperez
2006-08-06, 09:48 AM
The Baman of Arkham, in which Batman works in historical Gotham's asylum, trying to help the victims, and to understand what makes a man kill another. It's full of interesting ideas, and e.g. the Scarecrow exists as Bruce's new helper in the asylum, a doctor who wants to shock and scare the asylum's inhabitants into sanity - his body is lithe but normal, but his shadow is always that of the scarecrow. Batman is shown using a sling. Killer Croc is still violent, but not exactly dangerous - and saves Dr. Wayne.


Gotham by Gaslight has somewhat similar action, but is based around detective work instead of asylum. In it, Batman catches Jack the Ripper.

HypnoticMonk
2006-08-06, 06:08 PM
My favorite has to be the whole Ultimates line, especially Ultimate Spiderman.

Jack_Banzai
2006-08-06, 09:55 PM
As far as one-shots go, I would have to go with JSA: The Liberty files. It stars various members of the Justice Society, Batman, and Superman, in a World War II setting. Great read, get the TPB.

Dhavaer
2006-08-07, 05:00 AM
i highly doubt anyone else has read it, but "Superman Annual #3, Elseworlds"
in it, the kryptonians are ravaged by a plague, nad Jor-El makes a cure, and gives it to his unborn son, Kal-El. 100,000 krptonians leave their planet (it is the cause of the plague, from their generations ago clone war) at the last minute, Kal-El goes to the child banks and smuggles him aboard the last ship to leave krypton.
When the krptonians get to earth, they find that they are indeed supermen, and settle it. Though they are still infected with the paluge, they build devices to distribute a suppressing agent into the air.
The problem is, that the governments of earth fighting with one another do not bode well for the Kryptonian "Utopia" so they take over the world, enforcing laws to "Civilize" the human population. Batman is a member of the Human Resistance.
Read the rest for yourself (if you can find it)

I read it. I didn't think it was that great, though it was an interesting concept.

Logic
2006-08-13, 08:34 PM
I read it. I didn't think it was that great, though it was an interesting concept.

WHAT?!?!
You are dead to me!
j/k
basing someone's worth on their personal opinions is retarded anyway.

NinjaFish
2006-09-26, 09:41 PM
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back: Infinities
While on patrol on Hoth, Luke Skywalker is attacked by a Wampa Snow Monster. Han Solo goes looking for him and finds him just in time to hear Luke tell him that he must go to Dagobah.
And then Luke dies.

-Major ups for the gratuitous helmetless appearence of Boba Fett, the first ever in Star Wars history (aside from Episode II).

HOOBA FLOOBA WHA???

I am le boggled! I must find this!

I'm a big fan of the Age of Apocalypse...one handed wolverine? Darn tootin'! Make mine marvel, and all that...

Jarl
2006-09-28, 06:21 PM
HOOBA FLOOBA WHA???

I am le boggled! I must find this!
You've never read the Infinities books? They're brilliant. There's one for each movie in the original trilogy (I don't think they've done the prequels yet) where they change something that happens. In the first one, the Proton Torpedo misses the mark and just knocks out the power to the Death Star. By the end, Yoda's... well, I'll let you read it.
The Empire Strikes Back Infinities is hillarious and kinda scary. First off, Luke dies, I already told you that, it's the premise of the book, no spoilers here. Before he dies, he tells Han that he must go to Dagobah to become a Jedi.

-So Han decides to go to Dagobah to become a Jedi.

comicshorse
2006-09-28, 07:38 PM
There is a good Robin annual where he is a Ninja ( I kid you not). And as previously mentioned one where Batman is a pirate on the Spanish Main, think that one was called 'Leatherwing'.

Redghost
2006-10-04, 12:38 AM
Well Kindom Come is probably as cool as gets for me. As it is set in the future it is not technically part of continuity but neither was batmans son with natalia and low and be hold the darknight now is a popa and he doesn't even need to change daipers.

Jarl
2006-10-04, 11:47 PM
I like Terry better.

-I don't recall him ever shouting "I WANT A LAPTOP TOO!"

ray53208
2006-10-13, 04:32 PM
two words:

MARVEL ZOMBIES!!

'nuff said.
excelesiorrrrrrgh... chomp-chomp... BRAINS!

ray
8)

Flame_Drake
2006-10-29, 09:17 PM
You've never read the Infinities books? They're brilliant. There's one for each movie in the original trilogy (I don't think they've done the prequels yet) where they change something that happens. In the first one, the Proton Torpedo misses the mark and just knocks out the power to the Death Star. By the end, Yoda's... well, I'll let you read it.
The Empire Strikes Back Infinities is hillarious and kinda scary. First off, Luke dies, I already told you that, it's the premise of the book, no spoilers here. Before he dies, he tells Han that he must go to Dagobah to become a Jedi.

-So Han decides to go to Dagobah to become a Jedi.

Okay, Now I HAVE to read that.

Drake

Piedmon_Sama
2006-10-31, 01:14 PM
i highly doubt anyone else has read it, but "Superman Annual #3, Elseworlds"
in it, the kryptonians are ravaged by a plague, nad Jor-El makes a cure, and gives it to his unborn son, Kal-El. 100,000 krptonians leave their planet (it is the cause of the plague, from their generations ago clone war) at the last minute, Kal-El goes to the child banks and smuggles him aboard the last ship to leave krypton.
When the krptonians get to earth, they find that they are indeed supermen, and settle it. Though they are still infected with the paluge, they build devices to distribute a suppressing agent into the air.
The problem is, that the governments of earth fighting with one another do not bode well for the Kryptonian "Utopia" so they take over the world, enforcing laws to "Civilize" the human population. Batman is a member of the Human Resistance.
Read the rest for yourself (if you can find it)

Holy crap, I can't believe someone else remembers that story. It was one of the first comics I read when I was a kid. I didn't know it at the time, but it was written by Christopher Priest (who does excellent work.)

Grazzt
2006-10-31, 02:44 PM
I loved James Robinson's The Golden Age. It was originally supposed to be the in continuity story of the Golden Age heroes post Zero Hour, but they decided to do it as an Elseworlds instead.

Mr. Moon
2006-11-01, 12:04 PM
I'm not sure if this is exactly it, but I'm pretty sure it's called 1402. It's the Marvel universe set during the colonizing of the Americas. All the old superheros - Daredevil, the Fantastic Four, Spiderman (before he got his powers), even The Watcher and Captain America. I probably foregot a few. Armadagin is coming, and Queen Elizabeth sends out her most trusted advisor and her court wizard to track down the source. The art style is alot diffrent then the other Marvil books, which is probably what attracted me in the first place. I'm more into Manga then I am to the Western styles or Marvel and DC.

Beleriphon
2006-11-03, 01:20 AM
I'm not sure if this is exactly it, but I'm pretty sure it's called 1402.

Thats good old Neil Gaiman at work. Its also Marvel 1602, and a follow up featuring the continuing adventures of the Four from the Fantastick. I'd personally like to see more of Donal, the Templar Ancient after he find "the weapon"
The weapon is Mjolinir, and Donal turns into Thor, which of course blasts the crap out of the Catholic Church's dogma of there being only one God

Renloth
2006-11-03, 02:31 AM
I own the Infinities versions of "A New Hope" and "The Empire Strikes Back", but I've never been able to find the one for the Return of the Jedi. Fantastic work to, something I'd also recommend.

Anyone out there know the plot for that last Infinites book?

Jarl
2006-11-03, 04:24 AM
Infinities:
The Thermal Detonator goes off, killing Jabba and Threepio (he keeps dying in these, it's weird) and the good guys take off in Jabba's skiff. Han's still frozen, and Boba still has him, and a stray shot in the firefight hit him in the frozen eye (this comes up later). Fett takes him to Endor (I can't remember why) and Leia tries to snipe him, knocking out his rockets. They get Han and thaw him out, but he's blind now. Near as I can remember, some other stuff happens, and Luke gets on the Death Star, tries to fix the whole situation, the Emperor is attacked by Vader, he escapes, and they all pile into the Millennium Falcon and escape.
It's actually the best scene in the whole comic, when Vader gets on the Falcon. They drag him in, half dead and wheezing horribly, and Han hears his respirator and says something to the effect of "Please tell me that's not who I think it is."
So, it cuts to a day or so later, I think the Death Star's been destroyed (been a while since I read it), and the folks are all standing around trying to figure out just where that darn Emperor got to. Anakin walks in in white armor and tells them he may be able to help them hunt him down.

-It wasn't that bad, but it felt like parts could have been better, namely Anakin's armor, I felt they should have at least redesigned it. As it is it's literally his old armor with inverted colors, it woulda been cool to have, like, a blue/white looking aegis and kabuto, perhaps. I dunno. Not the best Infinities. Have they made any others? Sith in particular begs to be done.

Doglord
2006-11-03, 12:06 PM
The days of the future past in x-men. Proves that wolverine can actually die.

Piedmon_Sama
2006-11-07, 05:02 PM
DoFP Wolverine was actually resurrected in the Earth X timeline by Machine Man, who'd taken on the powers of Uatu the Watcher. (Earth X is "canon" in that it is a universe which exists alongside the mainstream Marvel universe). So technically Wolverine has never died... for keeps. >_>

Hydrargentium
2006-11-08, 07:34 AM
Okay, well, my favourite alternate universe story was one of the What If... mags Marvel published back in the 80's and 90's.

(Actually, I guess they're back into it again. I remember flipping through What If... Professor X and Magneto Never Became Enemies -- or something like that -- the other day at the news stand. Unfortunately, it didn't have much of a story, and I didn't like what they did with most of the characters, but I loved what they did with Scott and Alex at the end.)

Anyway, my favourite was: What If... Wolverine Became An Agent Of Shield? Well-written, believable, with a logical conclusion, and some pretty cool action scenes (with decent art, too) -- I loved it.

Hg

twerk_face
2006-11-08, 09:53 PM
Personally, I LOVED "1692." I thought it's interpritations of some of the Marvel heros (Daredevil especially) in a renosance (spelling?) setting were AMAZING.

Beleriphon
2006-11-13, 03:34 AM
Personally, I LOVED "1692." I thought it's interpritations of some of the Marvel heros (Daredevil especially) in a renosance (spelling?) setting were AMAZING.

Marvel 1602 is wonderful yes. The followup 1602: Four from the Fantastick is also good. Marvel 1602: The New World is good but not as good as the original.

I think the best running gag in the whole thing is the Pete keeps almost getting big by weird spiders but doesn't.

Dratsabre Tsabala
2006-11-15, 09:11 AM
Kingdom Come is kind of a gimme, so--

Barring that, I'd have to go with another DC one-off, Superman: Secret Identity. It's set on a mundane, day-to-day Earth, the perfect mirror of our own: No galactic cataclysms. No Kryptonite or Gotham City or Metropolis. Lex Luthor, Flash, Green Lantern, and their ilk exist only as red, yellow, and blue dots on the pages of a comic book.

Somewhere in the midwestern United States, a son is born to a family that just happens to be named Kent, who, owing to their homey great-plains sense of humor, gets it in their heads that it'd be a fun idea to name him Clark. Our boy bears the inevitable fallout-- the taunts at school, the same Superman-themed gifts from his aunts and uncles as every birthday rolls around-- with the stoicism of a teenage introvert until, one day, he wakes up hovering ten feet off the ground and discovers that he's got more in common with the fictional Man of Steel than just a name...

It's really a phenomenal miniseries, with each of the four comics documenting one of four eras in Clark's dual life as the world's only superhero- discovery of his powers, moving out on his own, starting a family, and finally old age are all done rather well, with a tasteful eye towards the human side of his life and the questions and ramifications that any real person would have to address if they wanted to do what Superman does on a daily basis and keep any semblance of normalcy. Don't get me wrong- there's still some lifesaving, ripping, tearing, blowing up, et al., but really, the A.D.D. kids would be better off going out and reading a back-issue of Youngblood This is more of a character study.

I know it sounds like it could be mundane, but Kurt Busiek's art and Stuart Immonen's phenomenal scriptwork somehow manage to create a Superman both exactly like and utterly dissimilar to the one we know, and they make him both believable and utterly transfixing. I'm honestly surprised at the number of blank stares I get from comic fans when I bring this one up.

(Also, sorry for the interminable ramble. I'm wordy when I'm tired, and I just really get on about this comic in general, it being so underexposed. Plus, first post = overcompensation.)

Logic
2006-11-18, 05:45 AM
Kingdom Come is kind of a gimme, so--

Barring that, I'd have to go with another DC one-off, Superman: Secret Identity. It's set on a mundane, day-to-day Earth, the perfect mirror of our own: No galactic cataclysms. No Kryptonite or Gotham City or Metropolis. Lex Luthor, Flash, Green Lantern, and their ilk exist only as red, yellow, and blue dots on the pages of a comic book.

Somewhere in the midwestern United States, a son is born to a family that just happens to be named Kent, who, owing to their homey great-plains sense of humor, gets it in their heads that it'd be a fun idea to name him Clark. Our boy bears the inevitable fallout-- the taunts at school, the same Superman-themed gifts from his aunts and uncles as every birthday rolls around-- with the stoicism of a teenage introvert until, one day, he wakes up hovering ten feet off the ground and discovers that he's got more in common with the fictional Man of Steel than just a name...

It's really a phenomenal miniseries, with each of the four comics documenting one of four eras in Clark's dual life as the world's only superhero- discovery of his powers, moving out on his own, starting a family, and finally old age are all done rather well, with a tasteful eye towards the human side of his life and the questions and ramifications that any real person would have to address if they wanted to do what Superman does on a daily basis and keep any semblance of normalcy. Don't get me wrong- there's still some lifesaving, ripping, tearing, blowing up, et al., but really, the A.D.D. kids would be better off going out and reading a back-issue of Youngblood This is more of a character study.

I know it sounds like it could be mundane, but Kurt Busiek's art and Stuart Immonen's phenomenal scriptwork somehow manage to create a Superman both exactly like and utterly dissimilar to the one we know, and they make him both believable and utterly transfixing. I'm honestly surprised at the number of blank stares I get from comic fans when I bring this one up.

(Also, sorry for the interminable ramble. I'm wordy when I'm tired, and I just really get on about this comic in general, it being so underexposed. Plus, first post = overcompensation.)

When it came out in graphic novel form, I bought it immediatly. Loved this one. Didn't think to bring it up though, it slipped my mind.

Jack_Banzai
2006-11-18, 05:58 AM
I know it sounds like it could be mundane, but Kurt Busiek's art and Stuart Immonen's phenomenal scriptwork somehow manage to create a Superman both exactly like and utterly dissimilar to the one we know, and they make him both believable and utterly transfixing. I'm honestly surprised at the number of blank stares I get from comic fans when I bring this one up.

(Also, sorry for the interminable ramble. I'm wordy when I'm tired, and I just really get on about this comic in general, it being so underexposed. Plus, first post = overcompensation.)

Good call, but you got it backwards - Kurt Busiek wrote and Immonen illustrated.

BlueWizard
2006-11-18, 07:40 AM
Original Bizarro world tale. Classic!

Dratsabre Tsabala
2006-11-19, 07:22 AM
Good call, but you got it backwards - Kurt Busiek wrote and Immonen illustrated.

D'oh! Sorry. A pox on my house! I was really, really tired.

Bluelantern
2006-12-01, 10:44 PM
Superman: Secret Identity

Wooter
2006-12-02, 02:05 AM
I haven't read too many, but the best of the one's I've read was Red Son.

I love morally ambiguous tales, and the fact that they did not use kryptonite was good.

Jack_Banzai
2006-12-02, 04:28 AM
I loved James Robinson's The Golden Age. It was originally supposed to be the in continuity story of the Golden Age heroes post Zero Hour, but they decided to do it as an Elseworlds instead.

YES. That was awesome. And the twist when you discover the identity of what's his name... Dyna-Man. That was sweet.

I don't suppose you read the Liberty Files, another pretty decent JSA Elseworlds? The Bat! The Clock! The Owl! Oh my!

Jerthanis
2006-12-03, 12:58 AM
I'd consider the Ultimates line to be my favorite AU except for the fact that I think of it as more of a reimagining, and a reboot of continuity updated for another generation.

I'd second Red Son as my favorite AU that I actually think of as an AU.

Smashymcsmash
2006-12-05, 12:42 PM
What if Wolverine (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolverine_%28comics%29) battled Conan the Barbarian (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conan_the_Barbarian)?

'Nuff said

Tokiko Mima
2006-12-05, 12:56 PM
Does Watchmen count?

I heard it's being made into a movie.

Logic
2006-12-05, 03:26 PM
What if Wolverine (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolverine_%28comics%29) battled Conan the Barbarian (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conan_the_Barbarian)?

'Nuff said
I don't think this counts, unless it actually made it to print...

Smashymcsmash
2006-12-06, 05:21 PM
I don't think this counts, unless it actually made it to print...


Oh but it did. Second series, issue 16.:smallbiggrin:

Shadow of the Sun
2006-12-07, 09:29 AM
300 by Frank Miller. The overall outcome is the same as it is in history, but the character, physical aspects of some people change drastically compared to history, some people do not exist, some new ones do etc. Such a goddamn good graphic novel.

hobbitguy1420
2007-11-16, 11:41 AM
I really enjoyed 1602. 1602: The New World lost the magic (not sure why, but the writing just wasn't stellar), and 1602: Fantastick Four was... well...

Count Von Doom kidnapping Shakespeare because he "wants to be immortal?!?!" Good lord, why not just use his Destruct-o-ray to hold all the cats in the city ransom, or something?

I couldn't even read past the first issue. Campiness overload.

Finn Solomon
2007-11-16, 12:10 PM
Kingdom Come for me, if only for Alex Ross's art.

Piedmon_Sama
2007-11-17, 09:18 PM
i highly doubt anyone else has read it, but "Superman Annual #3, Elseworlds"
in it, the kryptonians are ravaged by a plague, nad Jor-El makes a cure, and gives it to his unborn son, Kal-El. 100,000 krptonians leave their planet (it is the cause of the plague, from their generations ago clone war) at the last minute, Kal-El goes to the child banks and smuggles him aboard the last ship to leave krypton.
When the krptonians get to earth, they find that they are indeed supermen, and settle it. Though they are still infected with the paluge, they build devices to distribute a suppressing agent into the air.
The problem is, that the governments of earth fighting with one another do not bode well for the Kryptonian "Utopia" so they take over the world, enforcing laws to "Civilize" the human population. Batman is a member of the Human Resistance.
Read the rest for yourself (if you can find it)

Oh hell yeah, I remember this. It might still be in my basement somewhere, but it was likely thrown out years ago. Still, one of my favorite alternate-universe stories. By Christopher Priest of Black Panther fame, by the way.

I thought Batman basically being a walking exo-skeleton from years of battering and bruising was a nice touch.

My personal favorite, to echo the OP, is Red Son. Probably the best thing Mark Millar's ever written.

Hawriel
2007-11-27, 02:57 AM
There where alot of What If stories I liked. One of them was what if the Punisher killed Daredevil. I think that was the one whare Parker got outed and in an insane rage killed the Punisher after breaking out of a hospital. Aunt Mays death was the cause of the rage.

Red Sun and RDK where good stories. I do have a small TPB that I think might have been a four issue mini series. It was a DC What If style story about how Bruce Wayne was given the green lantern ring instead of Hal. He never became the Batman but some thing of a mesh inbetween.

Revlid
2007-11-27, 01:47 PM
One of two Batman ones, either -

Gotham by Gaslight
The first ever Elseworlds story, it features...
Victorian Steampunk British Batman tracks down Jack the Ripper.
Illustrated by Mike Mignola!

or

The Doom That Came to Gotham
Lovecraftian Batman featuring:
Killer Croc as a Deep One!
Ra's Al Ghul as Nyarlathotep!
Mr Freeze as the guy from Cold Air!
Poison Ivy as a Lovecraftian entity!
Two-Face as a man warped by the same!
Penguin as an eccentric explorer taken in by Giant Albino Penguins!
Man-Bat as a maddened intellectual!
and more!

tetsubo
2007-11-27, 03:06 PM
The Doom That Came to Gotham
Lovecraftian Batman featuring:
Killer Croc as a Deep One!
Ra's Al Ghul as Nyarlathotep!
Mr Freeze as the guy from Cold Air!
Poison Ivy as a Lovecraftian entity!
Two-Face as a man warped by the same!
Penguin as an eccentric explorer taken in by Giant Albino Penguins!
Man-Bat as a maddened intellectual!
and more!

Ok that sounds too cool how have I not heard of it before?

For me I would have to probably say Red Son and Kingdom Come. Although it would seem that Kingdom Come is turning into Cannon as the KC Superman is hanging out with the JSA right now.

TheEmerged
2007-11-27, 11:19 PM
Ok that sounds too cool how have I not heard of it before?

For me I would have to probably say Red Son and Kingdom Come. Although it would seem that Kingdom Come is turning into Cannon as the KC Superman is hanging out with the JSA right now.

No "seems". Kingdom Come is Earth-22 now.

tetsubo
2007-11-28, 07:52 AM
No "seems". Kingdom Come is Earth-22 now.

I knew it was something like that. I am much more of a marvel head but I do pick and choose at a few DC titles. The aforementioned JSA being one of them.

Tirian
2007-11-28, 10:19 AM
i highly doubt anyone else has read it, but "Superman Annual #3, Elseworlds"
in it, the kryptonians are ravaged by a plague, nad Jor-El makes a cure, and gives it to his unborn son, Kal-El. 100,000 krptonians leave their planet (it is the cause of the plague, from their generations ago clone war) at the last minute, Kal-El goes to the child banks and smuggles him aboard the last ship to leave krypton.
When the krptonians get to earth, they find that they are indeed supermen, and settle it. Though they are still infected with the paluge, they build devices to distribute a suppressing agent into the air.
The problem is, that the governments of earth fighting with one another do not bode well for the Kryptonian "Utopia" so they take over the world, enforcing laws to "Civilize" the human population. Batman is a member of the Human Resistance.
Read the rest for yourself (if you can find it)

The Elseworlds Annual year was a really good supply of stories -- it also included the Leatherwing pirate story and the one where Robin was the student of a ronin (not a ninja as a previous poster suggested). My favorite of the lot was in the same theme as Superman Annual #3, and wonders what would have happened if the person to comfort young Bruce Wayne had not been Dr. Leslie Thompkins but rather Dr. Jonathan Crane (i.e. The Scarecrow).

However, my favorite DC "alternate world" story is the one that was so outstanding that it was welcomed into the canon: The Killing Joke.

ETA:

I do have a small TPB that I think might have been a four issue mini series. It was a DC What If style story about how Bruce Wayne was given the green lantern ring instead of Hal. He never became the Batman but some thing of a mesh inbetween.

That would be In Darkest Knight. It was a Prestige format one-shot and not a mini-series. It was a good story, but was justifiably eclipsed by Speeding Bullets (in which Kal-El's spaceship crashes into Wayne Manor and thereby Superman and Batman were merged) which came out at the same time.

Glawackus
2007-11-29, 01:32 PM
[snip]

The Doom That Came to Gotham
Lovecraftian Batman featuring:
Killer Croc as a Deep One!
Ra's Al Ghul as Nyarlathotep!
Mr Freeze as the guy from Cold Air!
Poison Ivy as a Lovecraftian entity!
Two-Face as a man warped by the same!
Penguin as an eccentric explorer taken in by Giant Albino Penguins!
Man-Bat as a maddened intellectual!
and more!

Oh. My. God.
I just came into the comics forum 'cause I was bored, and this sounds like the best alternate-worlds tale ever.

Nerd-o-rama
2007-11-29, 04:05 PM
Evangelion: Angelic Days

...what? It's a comic, and it's an alternate universe. (Actually, I haven't read it, I'm just in love with the concept.)

More seriously, 1602 is good stuff, although I've only read the first one and not any of the follow-ups. If the entire DCAU counts, I'm all for that, too.

And of course, there was that one What If page I saw with "what if Galactus was Ben Parker's nephew." Great stuff.

Mr. Mud
2007-11-29, 06:40 PM
Definatley the Marvel universe, but if you count disney land, I'm sold :smallwink:

Old_el_Paso
2007-12-04, 05:48 PM
Marvel 1602 is wonderful yes. The followup 1602: Four from the Fantastick is also good. Marvel 1602: The New World is good but not as good as the original.

I think the best running gag in the whole thing is the Pete keeps almost getting big by weird spiders but doesn't.

Hmm, I thought that The New World was 1602's follow up. I had no idea about the Four from the Fantastick. I just thought that when DD sang about them, that it was the first time we were supposed to hear of them. Foreshadowing or something.

Xion_Anistu-san
2007-12-22, 12:24 PM
#1 of ALL time . . .


Kingdom Come

Awesome artwork! Unbelievable story! Exceptional twists (both subtle and blatant)!

Beyond that, I'd have to go with Age of Apocolypse, Amalgam Comics (The Legend of the Dark Claw and Assassins being my favorites), "What if Steve Rogers became President?", and an oldie but a goodie--a mini-series from the New Warriors where the Sphinx changed history making the Arabic nations the civilized countries of the world and base of future cultures. It even has an alternate version of the Avengers which includes the god Horus and Captain Assyria (?). I page through that one every now and then.

king korath
2007-12-22, 05:30 PM
Kingdom Come, Superman red son, and Age Apocalypse, are my three favorites.

paddyfool
2007-12-22, 07:56 PM
Kingdom Come
Secret Identity
... and some kind of Superman-as-Frankenstein's monster one. I forget where I saw it.

Toptomcat
2007-12-23, 02:31 AM
What with Steve Rogers dead in a revolution against the government, Tony Stark having transitioned into a quasi-bad guy, many heroes having been forced underground or out of the country, many others marching jack-bootedly in line, the lunacy of the Thunderbolts being revived with a far greater roster and far more unstable personalities, the U.S. government keeping supervillians and recalcitrant superheroes in a soul-sucking prison in the Negative Zone that was designed by Reed Richards, Peter Parker having revealed his identity...current Marvel continuity is starting to look much like a dystopic alternate universe.

Nerd-o-rama
2007-12-23, 02:02 PM
Don't encourage the inevitable retcon.

Also, I've discovered that Nextwave: Agents of H.A.T.E. may or may not be an Elseworlds, with conflicting information coming from the EIC and some writers (including the Handbook thingy). If it is an AU, it gets my vote. It's funnier to think it happens in the main Marvelverse, though.

hyperfreak497
2007-12-23, 10:07 PM
The Bizarro universe in Superman is the only one I've ever read, so I guess my vote's going there.

UglyPanda
2007-12-23, 11:56 PM
Marvel 1602 was awesome. I haven't touched any of the follow-ups because of what I've heard about them though.

Nextwave is hilarious, and it's definitely not 616. It probably wasn't meant to be either, considering that Dirk Anger was supposed to be Nick Fury, but the Secret War miniseries prevented that.

Nerd-o-rama
2007-12-24, 12:21 AM
But then you have Nextwave Aaron Stack showing up in Ms. Marvel (which has actually gotten me to read a couple issues of Ms. Marvel.)

Dimension-hopping, perhaps?

W Herzog Zwei
2007-12-26, 05:47 AM
They will never admit Nextwave could be "canon" - mostly cause of Dirk Anger and such, but I'm pretty sure the nextwave characterizations of Aaron and the rest of the crew with 616 counterparts will be pretty much adpoted (unless there is some other ideas for them, which I suspect there isn't as they have been quite much in a limbo) for mainstream continuity anyway - like with Aaron in Ms. Marvel. If the Captain shows up, then we are getting closer to canonization of Nextwave. Not that I care, they are all "imaginary stories" and I believe in Nextwave.

Wardog
2008-01-10, 06:06 PM
I haven't read it, so I can't say if it actually does involve a parallel universe, but this comic here certainly sounds as if it should be in/from one:

http://www.superdickery.com/other/209.html

Satyrquaze
2008-02-28, 11:32 AM
Kingdom Come is my personal fave, but Justice Leauge New Frontier is quickly becoming a close second.

Hzurr
2008-02-28, 11:14 PM
I'm a big fan of Red Son and Dark Knight Returns.

I guess technically, the Ulimate universe is alternate, and I'm a pretty big fan.

And if I'm including the entire Ultimate universe for Marvel, I also need to include the entire Bruce Timm universe for DC (although a lot of stuff that he did has been re-written into core DC. Yay Harley Quinn!)


Haven't read Kingdom Come, but after all the kudo's it's received, I'll have to pick it up.

I liked 1602 until the ending. I can't put my finger on it, but something about the last issue or two really didn't capture me like the rest of the book did. I read the first part thinking "This is really great, this is really great," and when I finished I remember thinging "Well that went downhill..."

mwp1138
2008-03-10, 04:47 PM
I love alternate universe comics, so I like just about anything that isn't poorly written, but I think my favorite would have to be Alan Moore's Superman two-parter from the mid-1980s:
Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superman:_Whatever_Happened_to_the_Man_of_Tomorrow %3F)

The "Luthor/Brainiac team" is still creepy after all these years.

Rama_Lei
2008-03-18, 08:21 PM
Hmm, do series reboots count? Because, I really like the Legion of Superheroes Threeboot, although after Infinite Crisis, it's become the official one. 1602 is great and Earth-3 is always good. Also Owlman= Epic fail.

Lord Galen
2008-04-02, 09:25 PM
I read an anthology of 'Bizarro' world short comics by indie cartoonists last year, and I can't remember who did it, but there was a story about Aquaman being a failed folk musician, he gets picked up in a bar and goes back to the girls house but can't go through with it. It had just the right amount of pathos.
Other than that, a lot of the Legends of the Dark Knight series were HUGELY better than the regular Batman stuff of the time, maybe not 'alternate universe' in the strictest sense, the creators seemed to have taken that level of freedom and creative control without feeling forced to do stuff that 'rocked' the 'world'.

Lord Galen
2008-04-02, 09:35 PM
Double post, sorry, um, look over there! Its a bargain bin!